NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman confirmed Thursday the league is targeting expansion to 20 teams, adding two franchises to the current 16-club roster. The timeline is soft but the direction is locked: the league wants a national footprint before the next media-rights cycle opens in 2027.
"Our vision to be able to compete on a national basis," Berman said. "In order to do that, we need to have a presence across the country." Translation: the current map has Bay Area, Portland, Seattle, DC, and pockets of the South, but nothing in the Mountain West, no second Texas team, and Atlanta remains the only southeastern anchor. The media buyers who paid $240 million over four years for the current CBS-Prime-ESPN package made clear they want more inventory and more time zones.
The economics have changed faster than the schedule. Boston paid $53 million to enter in 2026. The Bay Area franchise paid the same a year earlier. By the time the next two slots open, entry fees will almost certainly exceed $100 million. League sources expect formal bids by early 2025 for teams launching in 2026 or 2027. Cities in the mix include Philadelphia, Nashville, and at least one California market south of Los Angeles, though no formal RFP has circulated. The league's private-equity partnership with Sixth Street, finalized in 2022 at a $1 billion implied valuation, gives the NWSL balance-sheet room to be selective. The $150 million cash infusion from that deal has already been deployed into salary-cap increases, charter flights, and the league's first meaningful marketing budget. What remains is runway for two more expansion cycles without needing another capital call.
The commissioner's comments also clarify the league's relationship with MLS. Several NWSL clubs are now majority-owned by MLS operators—Seattle Sounders FC, Orlando City SC, Atlanta United—but the NWSL is no longer treating those partnerships as automatic expansion pathways. Berman has signaled that new franchises will be evaluated on local ownership depth, stadium control, and media-market economics, not simply MLS adjacency. That shifts leverage toward independent bidders with dedicated venues and direct sponsor relationships, the model that worked in San Diego and Utah.
What to watch: the league will likely announce at least one new market before the end of 2025, ahead of the championship final. Franchise fee clarity will come once the first post-Boston deal closes. Separately, the league's next CBA negotiation opens in 2026, and player representatives are already positioning for higher minimums and expanded roster sizes, both of which become easier to fund with two more teams paying into the revenue pool.
The 2027 media-rights window is the anchor. Twenty teams means more inventory, more regional storylines, and more games across more time zones. The current deal pays clubs roughly $15 million per team annually; the next one will price in a larger league, higher attendance, and the fact that women's sports rights are no longer discounted by default.
The takeaway
NWSL expansion to 20 teams locks in national footprint before 2027 media negotiations, with entry fees likely topping $100 million.
Editorial & Disclosure Notice: This article was written with artificial intelligence from public sources and is published without individual human review. Artificial intelligence and other digital tools are also used for research, analysis, editing, formatting, and production. Errors, omissions, outdated information, or inaccuracies may occur. References to companies, brands, products, services, organizations, or individuals are for informational and editorial purposes and do not imply endorsement, sponsorship, affiliation, partnership, or approval unless expressly stated. All trademarks and other intellectual property remain the property of their respective owners. Opinions, analysis, estimates, and commentary are informational only and should not be construed as financial, investment, legal, tax, medical, procurement, or other professional advice. Information may be corrected, clarified, or updated after publication. Corrections or removal requests: jenny@pops4.com.
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